- The ironsmith who is an Ethiopian—the smoke is of the same colour as his face; 3375
- مرد آهنگر که او زنگی بود ** دود را با روش هم رنگی بود
- The Greek who does the work of an ironsmith—his face, from gathering smoke, becomes piebald (spotted with black).
- مرد رومی کاو کند آهنگری ** رویش ابلق گردد از دود آوری
- Therefore he will quickly recognise the effect of sin, so that he will soon lament (and) say, “O God!”
- پس بداند زود تاثیر گناه ** تا بنالد زود گوید ای اله
- (But) when he persists (in sin) and makes a practice of evil, and puts dust in the eye of meditation,
- چون کند اصرار و بد پیشه کند ** خاک اندر چشم اندیشه کند
- He thinks of penitence no more: that sin becomes so sweet to his heart that (in the end) he comes to be without the Faith (he turns infidel).
- توبه نندیشد دگر شیرین شود ** بر دلش آن جرم تا بیدین شود
- That repenting and (crying) “O Lord!” are gone from him: fivefold rust has settled on the mirror (of his heart). 3380
- آن پشیمانی و یا رب رفت از او ** شست بر آیینه زنگ پنج تو
- The coats of rust have began to eat his iron (mirror): the rust has begun to lessen its sheen.
- آهنش را زنگها خوردن گرفت ** گوهرش را زنگ کم کردن گرفت
- When you write upon white paper, that writing may be read at sight.
- چون نویسی کاغذ اسپید بر ** آن نبشته خوانده آید در نظر
- When you write script over that which has been (already) written, it is not understood: the reading of it will be erroneous;
- چون نویسی بر سر بنوشته خط ** فهم ناید خواندنش گردد غلط
- For that (second) blackness has fallen (been made) upon blackness; (hence) both scripts have become obscure and have given no meaning.
- کان سیاهی بر سیاهی اوفتاد ** هر دو خط شد کور و معنیی نداد